a narrow, horizontal photo of a shelf of games including Trails, River Valley Glassworks, and Azul Chocolatier

I’ve heard it said that the job that kids have, the “work” they do, is to play:

they learn skills like resilience, confidence, independence, and curiosity
they explore their feelings and build relationships
they learn storytelling and experimentation to see what happens in different scenarios
it helps their mental and physical development
and it’s fun!

The thing is, we still need play as adults, whether it’s telling jokes or a sports league or board gaming. We get stuck in the seriousness of the world and need the release of play. To be fair, there’s heavy stuff happening in the world and close to home—there are real problems that need to be taken seriously if we are going to heal. But delight and play help heal us as well. In a world where we are increasingly separate, where we struggle to find ways to talk to each other, whether it’s because of a political disagreement or simply because we don’t know each other yet, play can bring us together.

And so in January, we are holding regular Community Tabletop nights on Wednesdays*. You can RSVP at that MeetUP link or just show up, by yourself or with friends. We’ll have tables reserved for you to connect you with other folks and y’all can have drinks and food and play whatever speaks to you. As usual, if you need recommendations based on your differing game taste, we can provide that as well!

Meet some new people, play new games, change the world, maybe.

Alice C, board game librarian

*The first Community Tabletop event will be on Thursday, January 2 since that Wednesday we are closed.

the board game Beer and Bread from Capstone Games, set up on a wood table with the games library blurry in the background

Play Beer and Bread: A Delicious Balancing Act

Beer & Bread is a delightful 2-player game where you manage a medieval village and try to master the art of - you guessed it - brewing beer and baking bread. The game is all about balancing shared resources as you strive to harmonize your actions of harvesting, producing goods, and upgrading your abilities. It includes the fascinating win condition known as “highest lowest scoring” where players score multiple things (here the beers you’ve brewed and breads you’ve baked) and score only the lowest of the bunch. Beer & Bread is the perfect way to kick off a cozy game night for two.

Therasa L, board game librarian

a series of beer taps photographed from below making the tap handles look majestic, including Rhinegeist Truth and Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale

Drink Kentucky Vanilla Barrel Cream Ale

This cream ale ages for six weeks in bourbon barrels and has the sweetness of vanilla beans and underlying essence of bourbon. It presents with additional notes of oak, caramel, and toffee.

You won’t often find this ale on tap, so bring a friend to try a Kentucky Vanilla Ale and play Beer and Bread!